By Rob Potter
MONGAUP VALLEY — Going into the bottom of the seventh inning of Wednesday night’s Sullivan County Women’s Softball League “B” Division game at Edward M. Collins Memorial Park in Mongaup Valley, the Holiday Mountain Ski and Fun Park team trailed New Hope, 15-14.
But Holiday Mountain scored twice in the inning to earn a 16-15 victory.
With the win, Holiday Mountain improved its season record to 10-4 overall and 10-0 in the “B” Division.
Rebekha Wilcox led off the bottom of the seventh for Holiday Mountain and tripled to center field. She scored the game-tying run when the next batter, her sister Mardette Wilcox, singled to left field.
After Kim Niemann reached base with a single, Bre Darling hit a ground ball to shortstop. As the New Hope infielders tried to record an out at third base, Mardette Wilcox continued running to home plate to score the winning run for Holiday Mountain.
New Hope (8-10) scored 10 runs in the top of the sixth inning to turn a 10-5 deficit into a 15-10 advantage. Darlene Malewit scored the first run of the inning when Dana Rinaldi reached base on a fielder’s choice. Kim Warbalowsky, Becca Scherer and Kristen Niemann then hit consecutive RBI singles to bring New Hope within two runs at 10-8.
Ashley Hermann then reached base on an error, which allowed both Scherer and Niemann to cross home plate and give New Hope a 12-10 lead.
Later in the frame, New Hope extended its advantage to 15-10 as Tammy Sondermeyer and Agnes Lane hit RBI singles and Malewit reached base on a fielder’s choice.
Holiday Mountain cut its deficit to one run at 15-14 in the bottom of the sixth. Mardette Wilcox and Kim Niemann both reached base on a error. Bre Darling then hit an inside-the-park home run to deep left field to make it a 15-13 game.
Chrissy Loucks scored on an error moments later to make it a one-run game.
New Hope took the lead in the top of the first inning. Warbalowsky hit a two-run single to give her team a 2-0 advantage.
But Holiday Mountain came back to grab a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the first. Key hits in the frame included RBI singles by Rebekha Wilcox and Kim Niemann.
Holiday Mountain increased its lead to 7-2 in the bottom of the second. Ashley Banks scored when Niemann reached base on an error. Moments later, Mardette Wilcox and Niemann both crossed home plate when Darling singled to left field.
New Hope got two of those runs back in the top of the third as Scherer and Lori Kimmes had RBI singles.
Holiday Mountain increased its advantage to 10-4 in the bottom of the third. Niemann hit a sacrifice fly and Darling had an RBI single.